Jeff Cohen, Marriage Counselor in Berkeley, 94704

Jeff Cohen, MFT

Profession(s):
Marriage & Family Therapy, Psychotherapy, Coaching
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Marriage and Family Therapist

My Approach to Helping

My intent is to help you deal with problems you're facing and lead a more fulfilling life. I use an integrative mind/body approach to psychotherapy in facilitating change toward contentment and vitality. I work with couples and individuals around issues of intimacy, self-worth, life transition, purpose and spiritual inquiry.

I draw on many sources and therapeutic models in my work. I also place great importance on providing an environment where you feel safe to freely and creatively explore your inner world. My style is collaborative, engaged and supportive.

Starting with being genuine and attuned to you, I'll do my best to help create a good therapeutic relationship--an important factor in successful therapy. I listen carefully, and while I'll offer my ideas and reflections throughout our work, I do so in the spirit of collaboration, and to see if they resonate with you. My priority is to provide the highest level of trust and safety for you to embark on the rich inner journey that therapy has to offer.

In my integrative approach, I pay attention to how the various systems of the body work together and influence each other. Recent findings in neuroscience have taught us how the brain processes emotional information, and how patterns of response are established. By incorporating this knowledge with more traditional forms of therapy, I can help you release deeply held patterns and create lasting transformation.

Recognizing the complexity of who we are, I don't impose theories or formulaic ideas in my work. Instead, I use different therapeutic perspectives to help illuminate our process, according to your individual needs. Among the sources I find most helpful are Cognitive Behavorial Therapy, Psychodynamic and Existential Therapy, and Hakomi Body-Centered Psychotherapy. These approaches compliment each other extremely well. I also use them in a way that allows an opportunity for deep exploration, without losing sight of tangible goals.

More Info About My Practice

My background includes extensive training in Hakomi Body-Centered Psychotherapy. This approach incorporates the Buddhist practice of mindfulness, or compassionate self-observing, to help explore unconscious beliefs and change self-defeating patterns. By working directly with your limiting beliefs, I'll help you access the "real time" felt experience of relating to yourself more fully, and provide tangible support in integrating this into a new way of being.